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rn eT 
DENDROBIUM. 
186 
DEVIL’S BIT. 
observed that they never grow large, | are generally propagated by taking 
unless near water. In their native 
country (North America) they grow 
in swamps and morasses, and are 
there from seventy feet to one hun- 
dred feet high. When grown in dry 
soil, they become stunted, and rarely 
exceed ten feet or fifteen feet high ; | 
but their foliage assumes a beautiful | 
red in dying off, instead of its natural 
yellow. Botanists have had some 
trouble to know where to place this 
tree, as it was first called Cupréssus 
disticha, and the generic name was 
then changed, first to Schubertia, 
and afterwards to 'Taxodium. 
Deven nium.— Ranunculacee.— 
The Larkspur. Well-known annual, 
biennial, and perennial plants, with 
curiously-cut leaves and splendid 
flowers, which are either purple, 
pink, blue, or white, and never yel- 
low. The Siberian Larkspurs are 
remarkable for the metallic lustre of 
their flowers, the hue of which re- 
sembles that of silver, which has 
been tarnished by fire ; and the Bee 
Larkspurs are remarkable and inter- 
esting for the curious manner in 
which the petals are folded up in the 
centre of the flower, so as to resemble 
a bee, or a large blue-bottle fly. The 
off a joint of the pseudo-bulb, or 
stem, and planting it im turfy loam, 
well drained. No water should be 
given till the plant begins to shoot 
from below ; but in a short time, the 
green tips of its roots will be seen 
protruding through the loose soil in 
the pot, and hanging down over the 
rim. It is now in a growing state, 
and if well supplied with water, and 
kept in a damp atmosphere, it will 
increase rapidly ; but care should be 
taken that its long roots are not in- 
jured, as those that are, will wither 
away, and never recover. The 
flowers hang down in long spikes, 
and have a splendid appearance. 
Dertrorp Pink.—Didnthus Ar- 
méria.—An annual species of Dian- 
thus, with clusters of small pink, 
scentless flowers, something lke 
those of Lobel’s Catchfly. A native 
of Britain, generally found in gravel- 
ly soil, and growing freely in any 
garden, where the soil is not too 
rich. 
Dev'tz1a. — Philadelphacea. — 
Slender branched, graceful shrubs, 
with compound panicles of beautiful 
white flowers. They will thrive in 
any light soil in the open ground ; 
Larkspurs will grow in any soil or | but as they require a slight protec- 
situation ; but a rich friable loam, | tion durmg winter, they are gene- 
and a situation open to the sun, suit 
them best. ‘They are improved by 
the addition of a good deal of 
thoroughly rotten manure to the soil 
in which they grow, instead of being 
injured by it, as is the case with 
most other flowering plants. The 
seeds keep good a long time; and 
those of the annual kinds do best 
sown in autumn, as when sown in 
spring they are a long ‘time before 
they flower. The perennials are 
propagated by division of the root. 
Denpro'sium. — Orchiddcee. — 
Splendid Mexican epiphytes, which 
may be grown on the branches of 
trees, or in a pot suspended from the 
rafters of the damp stove. They 
rally grown in pots, and kept in the 
greenhouse. D. scabra, the most 
common species, takes its specific 
name from the roughness of its 
leaves ; which, in its native country, 
Japan, are said, by Thunberg, to be 
used by the cabinet-makers in pol- 
ishing the finer kinds of wood. © 
Devin In a BusH.—See Nice’Lia. 
Deviw’s Bir.—Scabidsa succisa. 
—A kind of Scabious, quite hardy, 
and growing in any soil or situa- 
tion. It was formerly supposed to 
have great medicinal virtues; and 
hence, says the legend, the Devil, 
envying mankind such a treasure, 
attempted to destroy it, by biting 
off a part of the root, which appears 
